Garment fastener



Jan. 14,1958 I L. H. MACE 2,819,470

GARMENT FASTENER' Filed Oct. 4, 1954 kw 17:01am 'II'I'II'I'I" IN VEN TOR.

United States PatentO GARMENT FASTENER Leona H. Mace, Syracuse, N. Y.

Application October 4, 1954, Serial No. 459,905

2 Claims. (Cl. 2-70) This invention relates generally to garment construction and more particularly to an arrangement for maintaming an upper garment and a lower garment connected 111 a manner to prevent separation thereof without the use of belts or shoulder supported suspenders.

The chief object of this invention is to provide an arrangement for use with a shirt and trouser construction or a blouse and skirt combination which will connect the two garments together in a manner that prevents portions of the upper garment from folding over the lower garment.

It will be appreciated that when a person wearing an upper garment such as a shirt or blouse and a lower garment such as a pair of trousers or a skirt bends and twists his body, as the average person may do countless times a day, the lower portion of the upper garment, which is normally worn inside the upper part of the lower garment, tends to creep upwardly so that the upper garment bulges outwardly over the lower garment. Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an arrangement including a fastening device, having a portion attached to the lower garment and provided with a memher for engagement with the upper garment, adapted to mamtain the garments connected so as to substantially overcome the effect stated above.

In the attainment of the object of the invention, the upper garment is provided with a construction in the side seam thereof for receiving the connecting member of the fastening device. The construction includes a novel seam formation adapted to accommodate the connecting member without the necessity of providing reinforcing structure such as tabs, pads or the like.

An additional object of the invention includes the method of forming the seam utilized in the upper garment construction.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an arrangement of the type described that is economical and efficient.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front view of a blouse of the type to which the invention may be applied.

Figure 2 is a partial View in elevation of the first step in the formation of the side seam on the blouse shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view taken along lines 33 on Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the next step in the formation of the upper garment seam forming a part of the invention.

Figure 5 is a partial side of the upper garment seam and a lower garment connected by a fastening device illustrating the particular manner in which the fastening device engages in the seam construction.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of the upper garment seam illustrating a modification of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown an upper garment 10, such as a blouse, provided with a front panel 11 and a rear panel 12. The panels ,are in turn provided with outer surfaces 13 and 14 and inner surfaces 15 and 16 respectively. In a garment of this general type the front and rear panels are connected by a seam formed by sewing the side edges 17 and 18 of the respective panels together.

This invention contemplates a novel seam formation adapted to provide an opening or space for the accommodation of a portion of a fastener, one part of which is connected to a lower garment such as a skirt. As shown in Figure 4 the first step in the formation of the seam involves providing a first row of stitching 19 in the marginal portions of the panels. The edges of the panels are placed in engagement with one another with the inner surfaces of each panel contiguous to the other.

The next step involves gathering or folding the material in the area of each panel adjacent the row of stitching 19, as shown in Figure 4 and forming a second .row of stitching 20 to be located parallel to and outwardly from the first row of stitching. Thus, it will be noted that a space or chamber 21 is formed between the rows of stitching. In order to provide access to the chamber 21 the row of sitching 20 is interrupted, as at 22 to form a slot-like opening for a purpose to be later described. To strengthen the area surrounding the opening it may be desirable to reinforce the stitching 20 by doubling the row a short distance each side of the opening, note Figure 6.

As shown in Figure 5, a fastening device consisting of a tie member 23, preferably of elastic material, is formed in a loop permitting the ends thereof to be secured to the lower garment below the top thereof. A button 24 is preferably attached to the tie member intermediate the length thereof.

When it is desired to unite the garments to prevent separation thereof, the button is inserted into the space 21 through the opening 22. It will thus be appreciated that an arrangement is provided for permitting easy assembly of the garments wherein parts, simple in construction and low in cost are utilized. The details of the fastening device, of course, may be varied, it being understood that the illustrated embodiment is presented in a descriptive sense and not a limiting sense.

Other structural arrangements falling within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the claims will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising an upper garment including a front panel and a rear panel connected at their opposed edge portions in a seam, said seam including a first or inner row of stitching, a second or outer row of stitching spaced from and parallel to the first row, said second row of stitching being interrupted to form an opening permitting access to the space between the two rows of stitching; a lower garment for connection to the upper garment; a fastening device including a member adapted to be inserted through the opening formed in the seam of the upper garment and means connecting the member to the lower garment.

2. The combination comprising a first garment including a front panel and a rear panel connected at their opposed edge portions in a seam, said seam including a first or inner row of stitching, a second or outer row of stitching spaced from and parallel to the first row, said second row of stitching being interrupted to form an opening permitting access to the space between the two rows of stitching, a second garment for connection to the first garment; a fastening device including a member adapted to be inserted through the opening formed in the seam of the first garment and means connecting the member to the second gatment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hess Sept. 19, 1922 Morganstern Sept. 9, 1924 

